System and apparatus for detecting high and wide railroad cars and open top lading



: Dec.26, 1944. G. E, LAUTERBACH 2,366,152

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING HIGH AND WIDE RAILROAD CARS AND OPEN TOP LADING- Filed Jan. 13, 1945 Patented Dec. 26, 51944 SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING HIGH AND WIDE RAILROAD CARS AND OPEN Tor LADmG George Edward Lauterbach, Palisade,1N. J. Application January 13, 1943, Serial No. 472,293

1 Claim.

It is Well known that the clearance of bridges, tunnels, et cetera, vary, therefore, in making up a train it is necessary to have all cars inthe train of a height and width within the clearances of the bridges and tunnels onthe route over which the train is to be despatched. This is also true of open top ladings, such as engines, machinery, et cetera, loaded on at cars. Heretofore such classication has entailed considerable labor; and

. time both of whichelements'are diillcult to obtain.

The present invention is especially adapted with a minimum of time and labor to accurately classify all cars and open top ladings in the train to safely pass within the clearances on the train route, in other words.

'Ihe purpose of this invention is to detect high and Wide cars or open top ladings which exceed the permissible clearances through tunnels, under bridges, et cetera. The principle upon which it operates is the interruption of beams of light, focused upon photo-electric cells. Upon interrup'tion of the beams the photo-electric relay will actuate a suitable warning signal.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical end View of an automatic telltable for high, and wide carsl relating to my invention.`

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits.

The reference numeral l designates a signal bridge erected over a railroad track and is provided with uprights 2, a ladder 3, and a transverse beam 4, there being rigidifying beams 5 extending between the beam 4 and lthe top member of the bridge.

In ,the use of my invention the frame of the signal bridge I is erected over a railway track,

as illustrated,`and a train of miscellaneous cars` is passedunder the frame for the purpose of classifying the cars in the train for diierent routes, and automatically selecting cars for the various routes according to height and Width of. the cars, or open top ladings on the cars, so that cars can be picked out for a designated route within the permissible clearances through tunnels, under bridges, et cetera, on a route selected.

Normally the photoelectric cells are exposed to the light beams from the light sources and are inuenced thereby so that their relays are governed to norm ally prevent operation of the signal devices IU and I I.

As' the cars pass under this frame, or signal bridge, the contact 9 of the photo-electric relays 8 is actuated if thebeam of light 'l or I5 from theA lights 6 or I2 are .interrupted by the heighth or width of a car passing under the bridge, or open top ladings on the cars, thus operating the warning signal I and the bell I I. as shown in the diagrammatic View. The lights 6 and I2 are connected to the source of electric current I3.

As shown in the drawing, the lights I2 are positioned to direct their rays I at substantially.

right angles to the trackrails I4 across the roadbed and are directly'in line with the photo-electric relays I6 to determine the maximum heighth of cars and open top laden on the cars.

WhleI have shown the lights I2 and photoelectric relay I6 connected with the warning light and bell in the diagram, it is understood that the photo-electric relays 8 are also connected to the 'warningllight and bell.

It will be seen from the drawing that there are four lights on each side of the bridge I from which the light beams project upwardly at various angles and contact with the photo-electric relays 8, it being obvious that additional lights may be used.

'I'he photo-electric relays are disposed at angles coinciding with the angles of their respective light sources.

From the above it will be seen that the rays I not only detect the heighth and width of cars, but also the heighth and width of open top lading cars, while the rays I5 are restricted in their action to detect the maximum heighth of cars and open top ladings on cars.

When any of the beams are interrupted the photo-electric relays 8 and I6 actu-ate a signal warning bell Il. The operator watching the signal warning will immediately mark the car, or cars, which operates "the warning in a suitable manner, whereby these detected cars may readily be classified for a route having permissible clearances for such cars. Heretofore such classification of cars and open top ladings on' the car has necessitated the use of complicated apparatus or has entailed considerable labor and time and some guess work, all of which are eliminated by the use of this invention.

What I claim is:

In a system for detecting high and wide ca and ladings onopen topped cars which exceed Vpermissible clearances, a frame comprising uprights disposed at opposite sides of a trackbed and a bridge portion extending over the trackbed, two sets of normally active light sources disposed at different levels on each of said uprights, one o1' said sets of light sources being arranged to direct light beams at different angles upwardly and inwardly and the other set of said light sources being arranged to direct light beams inwardly in different horizontal' planes, a signal means, and sets of vphotoelectric relays disposed on said bridge portion and on said uprights of the frame for cooperation with the respective sets of light sources and so as to be innuenced 'by and responsive respectively to the angularly and horizontally directed beams of light from said sources to normally maintain thesignal means in an inactive condition, each photoelectric relay being individually operative when its influencing beam is intercepted by car or lading to render said signal means active to give a signal.

GEORGE EDWARD LAUI'ERBACH. 

